Rural residents will soon see contractor rock

     Jones County secondary roads will soon see more rock.

     During the April 24 county supervisor meeting, County Engineer Derek Snead updated the board on the contracts with the four bidders and timeline.

     The board previously awarded the bids to the following companies:

     • Weber Stone Co. in Anamosa for a total of $425,341.50

     • Wendling Quarries in DeWitt for a total of $146,344

     • River City Stone in Dubuque for $109,735.10

     • Bard Materials in Dyersville for a total of $58,574.20

     “Each of the four contractors got a portion of our roads,” said Snead.

     The total amount for contract rock this year is just under $740,000, which Snead said is more than last year due to the increase in the price of rock. Rock averages at $9.90. Snead was hoping to keep the cost for contract rocks around $750,000.

     “We’re close,” he said.

     The contractors will be putting just under 75,000 tons of rock down.

     While there is no set start date, Snead said a couple of the contractors planned to start right away. There is a completion date of June 8.

     Supervisor Jon Zirkelbach asked about how much spot rock Secondary Roads dispenses. Snead said the motor grader drivers are never told to stop putting spot rock down.

     “We’ve never had to be in that situation,” he said, meaning if certain roads or areas are in need of spot rock, it gets done.

     Snead did say the spring is best for spot rock, though, due to the Secondary Roads’ work schedule and the moisture content in the roadway.

In other county business:

     • Snead reported on the bids for the PCC overlay project from Morley to Olin, County Road E-45. The project also calls for the replacement of a bridge.

     The engineer’s estimate was $3.1 million. Bids ranged from $2.8 to $3.3 million, with Cedar Valley the low bidder. There were a total of five contractors.

     Snead said he would have the DOT contract for the supervisors to approve at their next meeting.

     • Bids also came in for the Wapsi Trail project. There were six bids that ranged from $1 to $1.6 million. Boomerang (formerly Ricklefs Excavating) was the low bidder at just under $1 million.

     “That’s a pretty good price,” said Snead.

     The trail project has a late start date of early June.

     • Snead said letters would be going out to landowners on Buffalo Road and Shaw Road for some surveying work that will be taking place. The data will be used for future projects in that corridor.

     • Denny Carstensen with the Memorial Hall in Wyoming met with the board to discuss roof repairs that are needed. Carstensen said the roof leaks, despite a rubberized coating that was put down in 2012. County Auditor Janine Sulzner reported that the roof project then had a 15-year warranty on it.

     The board told Carstensen they would investigate whether the warranty was with the contractor or the company that sold the product.